Every word Enzo Maresca said on Cole Palmer goals, staying humble, Chelsea win, Robert Sanchez
Enzo Maresca has just spoken to the press following Chelsea's 4-2 victory over Brighton at Stamford Bridge.
Four goals from Cole Palmer, all in the first-half, were enough to give the Blues all three points, despite Georginio Rutter and Carlos Baleba both scoring for the Seagulls. It was also a sign of the side's character and mentality to battle back from going a goal behind early on in SW6.
Maresca was understandably delighted with most of what he witnessed from his team out there. You can read every word the Italian had to say below...
Did that win mean more than the others?
"I don't think I enjoyed it more than the rest. It was the most important game of the season for many reasons. I was happy with the result, the performance, and as I said it is always nice to share that kind of moment with our fans."
Why was it important?
"Because after two wins in a row away, it is always difficult to keep the momentum. Many times, you can win twice away and drop a little bit. It is important to continue with that moment. The game was also exactly the way we planned the game, so it is a good moment."
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Where does Cole Palmer's performance today rank in terms of individual performances?
"Yeah, for sure, when you score four goals. I just said to Cole, he scored four but he could have scored two or three more. It is important he continues to be hungry and ambitious.
"I know Cole from many years ago. I had him for one entire season at City and then the first-team. The best thing he has is the way he is today as a boy, he was exactly that way two or three years ago. So, goals and assists, the best player in the Premier League; this does not change the way he is. He is a simple guy, a humble guy - and for me, this is the most important thing."
How special is he?
"He is a top player. And the important thing about the previous thing, today in football, young players change very quick. They score one goal and they think they are already... Cole has scored many goals, many assists, he is a top player but he has never changed. This is the most important thing."
Cole is playing a slightly different position than last season...
"We try to use Cole in that position because it's probably, for me, his best position. But he can play as a false nine, he can play as a No.9, he can play as a winger, he can play in the pocket in the way he is playing now.
"He can play in different positions because he is so good. I was not here last year but the only thing I can say is Cole inside the pitch is where he is best."
Do you think you will have to work to keep him grounded, or will he never get carried away?
"No, I think already loads of good things have happened in his life as a professional to give him the chance to change. But he didn't change, so it probably means in the way he is, he is always going to be that way.
"I have four kids; I have one boy and three girls and my boy is 11 and I would like to have my boy for many things to happen but not for him to change because with young players, with young boys, they change very easily. The best thing for me is that he enjoys, he loves football, he's always in the same way and it is something fantastic for him."
So will you tell your son to be like Cole Palmer?
"No, I tell my son to be the way he is and I'm happy with that. Cole is a different one."
Is this a sign of someone who is quietly confident and is that good that he doesn't need to tell everybody how good he is?
"Yeah, absolutely. It is a special guy, a simple guy, a humble guy and as you said, he doesn't need to tell people how good he is because you can see clearly how good he is."
Why are we not seeing Carney Chukwuemeka more?
"I will say exactly the same thing I have said many times: Carney is a very good player, but for the amount of players we have, we decided at the beginning of the season it is probably better to leave and go somewhere, prove himself and playing 30 or 35 games than being here and play less games.
"Unfortunately that didn't happen. He is our player. He had some minutes the other day, today he was not involved. Hopefully we can give him more minutes."
Is that the craziest first-half you have been involved in?
"Off the ball, we struggled in the first-half because they surprised us. They changed something. On the ball, the game was exactly the way we planned in the first-half and second-half. Then at half-time, we adjusted a little bit the way we were pressing.
"In the second-half, we didn't concede nothing in terms of chances. In the first-half, we conceded two goals and then some moments. The reason why was because they surprised us a little bit with the way they played on the ball.
"In terms of the way we played on the ball, we scored four. We could have scored three or four more in the first-half. And then the two goals we conceded, the first one is a mistake, a normal mistake.
"The second one is not about trying to play from behind. For me, it's more about reading the moment. We were 1-0 down and then 3-1 up, in that moment we don't need to take any risks. It's more for them to take risks, not us. I said to Robert [Sanchez] and the players, 'from now on, we are going to concede 10 more goals like the way we conceded the second goal'. It's the way we want to play.
"We already scored goals with Robert involved in the build-up but it is important after the mistake, the team continue in the same way. It means they enjoy, they like and they see also that we win games."